What information should I include on my RSVP card?

If you’re planning, or have planned a wedding, you’ve probably had the “what in the world” moment where you ask what information should I include on my RSVP card? This little card needs to ask all the questions you need to know, because I don’t know about you, but going back and calling all of your guests if you forget something sounds like a nightmare!

Since I’m all about making sure you spend less late nights Googling so you have more time to spend with your sweetie, I’ve put together a list of all of the information you might want to include on your response card!

1. Reply By Date

This little stinker is an easy one to forget, when you’re focused on including everything else. Make sure you add a date that you’d like your guests to respond by! Check with your vendors, but typically somewhere around 2-4 weeks before your wedding is appropriate. Be sure you have plenty of time to call guests who haven’t responded, send final numbers to your caterer, venue and anyone else, and put together your seating chart and any other day of details.

2. Names Line

Ever wondered what the little “M________” on a RSVP card is for? On the first wedding invitation I ever received, I stared at that line FOREVER trying to figure out what I was supposed to put there. Most guests will have figured it out (Google saved me), but you can always use “Names________” instead. This helps you confirm exactly who is coming (for place cards, seating charts, etc.) and also get the name of any “plus ones” your guests were invited to bring.

3. Response Answers

Make sure you include a way for your guest to tell you if they can or cannot make it to the wedding! If you have additional events, such as a morning-after brunch, welcome dinner, etc. that you are incorporating on the same card, make sure there are separate lines for guests to respond yes/no to each event individually. I use “accepts with pleasure” or “declines with regret” for traditional invitations, but you can have fun with this! I’ve seen lots of fun ways to word these, from “will attend with bells on”, to “will attend, but is afraid of bells” all the way to “wouldn’t miss it!”. This is the perfect place to let your personality and wedding style shine through – just make sure that they are clear, so your guests (and you!) don’t get confused about whether or not they’re able to attend.

4. Number of Guests Attending

This one is completely optional, but if you are concerned about your guest list growing and people RSVPing who were not invited, you can include a line that says “____ seats reserved in your honor”, and fill in the appropriate number to each RSVP. I go into more detail about how to prevent unexpected RSVPs here! Some response cards also include a line that says “___ number attending”. This is way for you to confirm the number of guests who are RSVPing, but would not help to prevent unexpected RSVPs, as the guests would be filling that line in themselves.

5. Entree Choices

If you’re having a plated dinner with meal options, make sure you include a space for your guests to select an entree option! This is usually done with words or icons, and guests can initial next to the choice they’d like. Be sure to indicate to your guests to initial their choice, as otherwise you won’t know which guest wants which meal! If Mr. John Smith and Mrs. Judy Smith’s RSVP card has chicken and beef checked, how will you know who wants chicken? John, or Judy?

6. Dietary Restrictions

If you’re not offering meal options but want to be sure to accommodate guests with allergies, or dietary restrictions, you may want to add a line at the bottom of the card prompting the guest to indicate any dietary restrictions. Sometimes couples will add the text with a line for the guests to fill in, and other times they’ll ask that the guest responds on the back of the card.

7. Postage & Return Address

What good does an RSVP card do you if it can’t get back to you? Make sure that you’re including a stamp on your RSVP envelope as well as a pre-printed or calligraphed return address. Not only is this good etiquette, it will help your guests get their responses back to you as quickly as possible!

I hope this helps give you a little more confidence when putting together your response cards! Still confused? Fear not – I walk all of my custom invitation clients through this process and make sure we’re covered each step of the way. Click here to learn more about how to become a #laurenperrybride!

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